Concerning the rich young ruler (Matthew 19), the Law, Messiah’s dialogue…a response,

The young ruler had asked Jesus what he must do to inherit or earn eternal life and Jesus responded (under the Law) to keep the Commandments; this, in response to the young man’s self-righteousness thinking himself sufficiently “good” to enter the Kingdom…Jesus reminded the young man that no one is good but God…Jesus at this point asked the young man if he recognized Jesus as God as this would have been key to salvation…but the young man insisted that he was sufficiently righteous to earn his own salvation…then…Jesus pointed out the hypocrisy and sin of the young man by commanding him to follow Jesus and sell all that he had and give it to the poor…the young man could not obey because the young man loved his wealth, his money and possessions more than God thereby violating the Greatest Commandment of all.

Jesus knows that we cannot keep the Law sufficiently to earn our own salvation as the Law mandates perfection (James 2:10; Galatians 3:10; Deuteronomy 27:26) and we’re under the condemnation of sin as we’re all sinners (Romans 3:20-23) and Jesus understood that only by trusting in Him as Messiah would the young man find righteousness (a right standing) with the Father and eternal life (John 3:16-28;14:6).

Jesus provided the young man no less than two-opportunities to find eternal life through Him, Jesus as Messiah, but the young man did as most Jews and Christian cults do today, they trust in their own righteousness to save them and deny the righteousness of Christ offered them by faith in Him as their Messiah who died for them (2 Corinthians 5:21).